Stump Grinding

Trees are a beautiful and vibrant part of any landscape, but sometimes they need to be removed. This can be for several reasons, ranging from a need for space to safety problems. However, simply cutting down the tree doesn’t eliminate all safety factors, as a stump is still around. Removal of a stump is beneficial for a multitude of reasons, including increased fertility in the area, benefits from a visual perspective, ease of lawn care and reduced safety risks.

Some arborists offer stump grinding when a tree is removed from a property, and some do not. Here are some considerations when evaluating the relevance of tree stump removal:

Stumps aren’t appealing from an aesthetic standpoint. If you’re meticulous about your yard, for personal or social reasons, removing the stump can greatly benefit your property’s appearance.

Stumps are a safety risk. If, for example, there are children running and playing in your yard, they may not notice it and inadvertently hurt themselves. Likewise, if a neighbor or other adult becomes injured by it, it’s a liability that falls upon your shoulders. Tree stumps can also cause lawn maintenance to be more difficult, as the individual mowing or trimming the lawn must navigate around the stump.

Sometimes, just cutting down the tree just isn’t enough. Leaving the stump behind can potentially contribute to new sprouts, which can result in many small trees growing on and around the stump. This is unattractive and potentially expensive, as the shoots can reoccur over and over, resulting in continued removal.

Stumps attract potentially damaging insects. Stumps take a long time to decay away fully, and while it’s decaying, the stump attracts beetles, termites, ants, some species of wasps, and other wood-boring pests. These may not be an issue while they remain in the stump, but they can easily migrate to other trees or into a house.

A ground stump offers fertilization. Oftentimes, the dirt immediately around the stump is filled with small wood chips, which decay much faster than the original stump would. This lends an increase in nutrients and fertility to the surrounding soil, making the site of a previously-removed stump the perfect place for flowers or a bush.